5 Steps, from brief to delivery.
If you landed here, you’re probably looking for an illustrator to work with, here’s how it works:
I'm Joe Tamponi, a freelance illustrator specializing in custom artwork for brands, businesses, and creative projects. Over the past decade I've worked with clients in food & beverage, skate, surf, music, and lifestyle — delivering bold, character-driven illustrations rooted in 80s/90s graphics culture.
If you're looking for a freelance illustrator for merch, branding, packaging, or any kind of custom artwork — here's exactly how I work.
How a commission works — 5 steps
1. Brief & Research
Before I draw a single line, we talk.
I'll ask for a brief that covers: the content of the artwork, any text or lettering that needs to be included, the subject, and the general mood you're going for. I'll also ask for visual references — competitors' work, links or screenshots from my portfolio, anything that helps me understand where you're coming from and what you expect.
This phase is important. The more clearly we define the project here, the smoother everything else goes.
2: Sketch
Once the brief is clear, I ask for a 50% deposit to lock in the project and get started.
The sketch phase is where ideas become something real. I'll work up an initial concept and share it with you — it'll be rough, that's intentional. We'll have up to three rounds of revisions at this stage, focused on small adjustments and additions to get the direction exactly right.
A few things to keep in mind:
The illustration will be in my style. If you've been looking at my portfolio, you already have a feel for what that means — that's the work you're going to get.
Concept changes are not allowed once we've agreed on a direction. If we agreed on a skateboarding tiger, I'm not drawing a skateboarding octopus. If you want multiple concepts to choose from, we can arrange that — but it needs to be agreed upfront.
3: Inks & Colors
With the sketch approved, I move into the full build. Lines get tight, shapes get defined, and color comes in. This is the longest phase — the illustration goes from rough idea to something that actually looks like my work. From this moment on, I’d recommend to not add any new subjects or make any change, to avoid making messes with the existing artwork.
4: Pre-Delivery / Color Check
Before I send the final files, I'll share a color-accurate preview for your sign-off. This is your last chance to flag anything — a tone that's reading differently on screen, a detail that needs a tweak.
This phase exists to make sure what lands in your inbox is exactly what you expected. No surprises
5: Delivery
Once you've approved the preview and the remaining 50% is settled, I'll deliver the final files — clean, print-ready, in the formats we agreed on.
From here, the artwork is yours. Usage rights transfer on final payment, and you're clear to use it across the applications outlined in our agreement.
